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One of the biggest talking points around Leeds United at the moment is their struggles at the top end of the pitch in the 2025/26 Premier League season so far.

Four games into the new campaign, Daniel Farke’s side have failed to score a single goal from open play in the top-flight after they won the Championship title with 95 goals scored last term.

Lukas Nmecha’s penalty against Everton at Elland Road on the opening day of the season is the only goal scored by the Whites in the league so far.

The West Yorkshire outfit failed to find the back of the net in losses to Arsenal and Fulham and in their draw with Newcastle United, which is a cause for concern even at this early stage.

xG

3.8

15th

Goals scored per game

0.3

19th

Open play goals per game

0.0

Joint-20th

Shots on target per game

2.0

20th

Big chances created

5

17th

Touches in the opposition’s box

74

17th

As you can see in the table above, Leeds have been one of the worst teams in the division in the final third across the first four matches of the campaign.

This woeful start to the Premier League season in front of goal has led some to question the decision to send Largie Ramazani out on loan to Valencia.

Why Leeds should have kept Largie Ramazani this season

Farke decided to send the Belgian forward out on loan for the 2025/26 campaign instead of keeping him around to compete for a position out wide in his 4-3-3 system.

The German head coach now has Noah Okafor, Brenden Aaronson, Jack Harrison, Wilfried Gnonto, and Dan James at his disposal to play on the left and right flanks.

That is despite concerns over some of them not being up to the task of playing in the Premier League. Per Sofascore, James provided one assist in 24 games and Aaronson managed three in 36 outings in the 2022/23 top-flight campaign, whilst Harrison did not register an assist in 34 league games for Everton last season.

Okafor, meanwhile, is playing in England for the first time after he failed to register a single assist in 15 outings in the Serie A during the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

Ramazani has already set up one goal in two games for Valencia in LaLiga, one of Europe’s best leagues, whilst Leeds are still waiting for one of their attackers to record an assist in the Premier League.

Non-penalty xG

0.54

Top 2%

Shots on target

1,84

Top 2%

Goals

0.69

Top 2%

Assists

0.23

Top 20%

Chances created

1.50

Top 32%

Dribbles completed

2.07

Top 15%

As you can see in the table above, the Belgian attacker made the most of his limited minutes in the Championship last season, averaging 0.92 goals and assists per 90.

Ramazani scored six goals and provided two assists in the league, despite only starting seven games, per Sofascore, and it feels like Leeds are currently lacking the attacking spark that he can provide in the final third.

The winger is not the only player shining in a major European league whom the Whites made a mistake with, though, as the club had an even bigger howler by selling an Italian star.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Leeds had goalkeeper Elia Caprile on their books until Jesse Marsch and Victor Orta decided to sell him to Bari for £1.4m in 2022. That has turned out to be a fairly significant misstep by the club.

Why Leeds made a mistake with Elia Caprile

What the Italian shot-stopper has gone on to achieve in his career in the last three years, since leaving the Whites for £1.4m, shows that the club made a mistake by cashing in on him when they did.

After one season in the Serie B with Bari, Italian giants Napoli swooped to sign him in the summer of 2023 and loaned him out to Empoli for the 2023/24 campaign.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig called Caprile a “superstar” during his time with Bari, as he kept 15 clean sheets. His impressive form carried over to the Serie A, as the shot-stopper saved 75% of the shots on his goal and prevented 0.96 xG across 23 top-flight outings for Empoli.

The 24-year-old star prevented 3.33 xG and saved 70% of the shots on his goal in 22 Serie A games for Napoli and Cagliari combined in the 2024/25 season, which led to him sealing a permanent move to Cagliari in the summer transfer window this year.

Caprile, who is valued at £7.8m by Transfermarkt, has proven himself to be a reliable shot-stopper in the Serie A for several reasons. He has also outperformed new Leeds signing Lucas Perri in the current campaign.

Appearances

3

3

Sofascore rating

7.23

6.07

Saves per game

3.7

1.0

Save success rate

85%

38%

Goals prevented

+0.66

-1.99

Error led to shot/goal

0

0

As you can see in the table above, the former Italy U21 international has been far better as a shot-stopper for Cagliari in the Serie A than the Brazilian has been for the Whites in the Premier League.

Leeds reportedly paid £15.6m to sign Perri from Lyon in the summer, which was a significant investment by the club, but it looks like the player they once let go for £1.4m would be an even better option for them at this moment in time.

Therefore, the Whites had a howler when they allowed Caprile to move on from Elland Road because they let him leave before giving him an opportunity to show his class on the pitch for the club.

That is why the decision to sell him was an even worse decision than the one to loan Ramazani out this summer, because they made a definitive call on the goalkeeper, whilst the Belgian winger is only out on loan and could return in January or next summer.

It's not Darlow: Leeds star is in danger of becoming their new Meslier

This Leeds United star is in danger of becoming the next Illan Meslier at Elland Road.

ByDan Emery Sep 16, 2025

Leeds could have had a goalkeeper who has the quality to deliver outstanding performances at the top level between the sticks without having to splash £15.6m on a new shot-stopper if they had kept Caprile, which could have freed up funds for more quality in the attacking areas.

West Ham United are now seriously considering a spectacular move for an “unstoppable” striker, who has made a flying start to the 2025-26 campaign.

West Ham need to sign new striker before deadline

Following Michail Antonio’s departure earlier this summer, West Ham brought in Callum Wilson, but with the 33-year-old joining on a one-year incentive-based deal, he is unlikely to be a long-term solution, especially given the former Newcastle United man’s recent injury record.

Season

Games missed through injury

2022-23

9

2023-24

28

2024-25

29

Jarrod Bowen has led the line for the Hammers in the early stages of the new season, but the 28-year-old is yet to get on the scoresheet, and even clashed with a fan after the most recent 3-2 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the EFL Cup.

With Niclas Fullkrug also set to turn 33 this season, the Hammers could without doubt do with signing a young centre-forward, capable of leading the line at the London Stadium for years to come, and they have now set their sights on a striker who ticks those boxes.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, West Ham are now seriously considering a spectacular move for FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju, who is attracting widespread interest after making a flying start to the new campaign.

The Irons and Serie A side Como are among the clubs prepared to make an early move for Dju, with both sides expressing a willingness to offer a fee in the region of £11m for the 21-year-old’s services, although it could be difficult to get a deal over the line.

West Ham in shock talks for "one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United's history"

Potter is in a desperate situation.

ByCallum Kemp Aug 27, 2025

The youngster is viewed as a player with top-class potential by Graham Potter’s side, but FC Midtjylland are very reluctant to sell, given that it would be near-impossible to replace their star player, with the summer transfer window set to draw to a close very soon.

"Unstoppable" Dju has made fantastic start to the campaign

Scout Jacek Kulig has been left enamoured by the way in which the young centre-forward has started the campaign, recently lauding him as “unstoppable”, and it is evident to see why.

The Guinea-Bissau international already has nine goals to his name in all competitions, and he is showing signs of real development, having eclipsed his league goal tally from the 2024-25 campaign at this early stage.

It would be a risk for West Ham to sign Dju, given that the Midtjylland star is yet to prove himself in a major European league, but the Hammers are in desperate need of a new centre-forward, with Wilson making little impact in his three outings up to this point.

It is also an added bonus that the former Benfica man is still very young at 21-years-old, given that Potter is well-known to have worked with the oldest squad in the Premier League last season.

Australia allrounder will prepare for WTC final with five County Championship matches

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2025Gloucestershire have signed Australia’s Cameron Green for five County Championship matches, in a deal made possible by a “significant donation” from one of the club’s members.ESPNcricinfo reported this month that Green is hoping to make his return from a back stress fracture before the end of the Sheffield Shield season, and that he was lining up a stint in county cricket. Gloucestershire announced on Friday that he will play five games for them between April 18 and May 26 in the second division of the Championship.Green’s stint will enable him to play competitively ahead of June’s World Test Championship final, which sees Australia face South Africa at Lord’s. He will only be available as a specialist batter, rather than an allrounder, and faces competition for places in the middle order after the recent success of Josh Inglis and Beau Webster early in their Test careers.Gloucestershire’s finances have been perilous in recent years, with the club posting a £1.19 million loss in their most recent accounts. But chair Peter Matthews said one of the club’s 2,000 or so members had donated a sum of money which will enable them to cover the cost of Green’s wages without exceeding their playing budget for the 2025 season.”We are delighted to welcome Cameron to Gloucestershire,” Matthews said. “This deal would not have been possible without a significant donation from a member of the club, and we are incredibly grateful for his generosity, which has enabled us to do this deal without going over the playing budget.”Related

Green unlikely to play Shield cricket before county stint

Bancroft named Gloucestershire captain after shoulder 'trauma'

Hampshire sign Stoneman as Vince cover

Green hopeful of Shield return and county cricket ahead of WTC final

Green has never previously played county cricket and will link up with his Western Australia team-mate Cameron Bancroft in Bristol, who was appointed captain for their Championship season earlier this week.Mark Alleyne, Gloucestershire’s coach, said: “Cameron Green’s ability is unquestionable… He usually operates in a key position for the best Test team in the world at the moment and having that pedigree in our camp is amazing for the players alongside him. We have serious ambitions in all formats in 2025 and Cameron’s signing will reinforce this sentiment.”Elsewhere, Hampshire have confirmed the signing of another Australian allrounder in New South Wales’ Jack Edwards. ESPNcricinfo reported this week that Edwards will effectively replace Mohammad Abbas for the first two months of the Championship season, with Hampshire’s hoping Edwards’ ability to bat No. 7 will help them fill the void left by James Vince quitting red-ball cricket.

تحدث الدولي البرازيلي رودريجو جوس، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد عن طموحاته مع منتخب البرازيل في بطولة كأس العالم القادمة 2026.

وأجرى الدولي البرازيلي حوارًا مطولًا مع صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية تحدث من خلاله عن كارلو أنشيلوتي وعلاقته القوية به ومنتخب البرازيل وأسرار كثيرة من كواليس انتقاله إلى الفريق الملكي.

وقال رودريجو، حول طموحه الفترة المقبلة مع ريال مدريد ومنتخب البرازيل: “أريد الفوز بـ دوري أبطال أوروبا مجددًا مع ريال مدريد، الفوز بها سيكون أمرًا رائعًا، وبالطبع أحلم بالفوز بكأس العالم مع البرازيل”.

وعن وصف لوكا مودريتش بأنه أب له: “عقلية لوكا مذهلة، كانت هذه السنوات التي قضيتها معه رائعة بالنسبة لي، تعلمت منه واستمتعت بلاعب بمثل جودته، لطالما استمتعت بمشاهدته في الملعب ولكن عندما كنت بجواره وشاركته غرفة الملابس أبهرني أكثر، إنه لاعب رائع، يبدع في كل شيء، يبلغ من العمر 40 عامًا ولا يزال يقدم أداءً رائعًا، إنه أمر مذهل حقًا”.

اقرا أيضًا | رودريجو: مبابي يشبه رونالدو.. وخماسية أتلتيكو لن تتكرر أمام برشلونة

وعن معايير الكرة الذهببية: “حسنًا من الصعب الحديث عن هذه الجائزة، وأنا أيضًا لا أستمتع بها، لو كانت لمن قدم أفضل موسم لكان الأمر عادلًا هذا العام، كنت سأصوّت لديمبلي أيضًا”.

وعن فرصة مبابي في الفوز بها: “بالطبع يمكنه ذلك إذا استمر على هذا المنوال وسجل هذا الكم من الأهداف والألقاب مهمة، عليك أن تفهم هذا المعيار لأنه أحيانًا يطبق وأحيانًا لا”.

وعن أول شيء قاله تشابي ألونسو: “عندما وصل المدرب، استدعاني للحديث وقال لي أعلم أنك تحب اللعب على اليسار، لكنني سأحتاجك في مراكز أخرى أيضًا، أبلغته أنني هنا لمساعدة الفريق، يعلم الجميع أنني أفضل اللعب على اليسار وأنني أفضل بكثير على هذا الجناح لكنني دائمًا متاح للفريق للعب على اليمين أو كصانع ألعاب، وأخبرته بذلك”.

وأضاف: “في الحقيقة هو يضعني فقط على اليسار وأنا سعيد بمستوى الدقائق التي أحصل عليها، أنا ألعب بشكل جيد مع أنني منطقيًا، أرغب في اللعب أكثر، أنا في مرحلة التطور وأتحسن باستمرار، وأشعر بالسعادة، أدائي أفضل بالاستمرارية”.

وأتم: “يجب احترام قرارات المدرب، إذا كنت أساسيًا، فعليك بذل قصارى جهدك ولكن إذا كنت بديلًا، فالأمر نفسه، هكذا أفكر، إذا شاركت لمدة 20 دقيقة، أبذل قصارى جهدي فيها، هذا جيد لاسمي وللفريق، أحاول الاستفادة القصوى من كل دقيقة ألعبها بهذا القميص”.

The series could provide match practice, or serve as an audition, for a couple of back-up players likely to be picked in the Test squad

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2024 • Updated on 25-Oct-20247:07

What India A squad for Australia tour indicates about Border-Gavaskar Trophy selection

Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the India A squad on their tour of Australia later this month.Gaikwad, who has begun his Ranji Trophy season with scores of 86, 0 and 145 for Maharashtra, is one of the contenders for the role of reserve opener for India’s five-Test tour of Australia, which will closely follow India A’s tour. That role has gained extra significance with India captain and opener Rohit Sharma set to miss one of the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar series for personal reasons.Apart from Gaikwad, the 15-member India A squad also includes two other candidates for that role in Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has been named vice-captain, and Sai Sudharsan.The matches against Australia A could provide match practice, or serve as an audition, for a couple of other back-up players likely to be picked in the Test squad. Devdutt Padikkal, B Indrajith and Ricky Bhui are set to be the middle-order batters in the India A squad; Abishek Porel and Ishan Kishan the wicket-keepers; Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tanush Kotian and Manav Suthar the allrounders; and Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed and Prasidh Krishna, replacing the initially picked Yash Dayal, the fast bowlers.Abhimanyu, 29, has been part of India’s Test squad previously – in Bangladesh in 2022 – and he has been in superb form this domestic season, scoring two hundreds in the Duleep Trophy, another century in the Irani Trophy, and beginning the Ranji Trophy season with a ton for Bengal. Sudharsan, 23, made a first-class hundred for English county Surrey in August, before scoring a century in the Duleep Trophy and a double-hundred in Tamil Nadu’s Ranji Trophy match in Delhi.Having recovered from a hernia, 21-year-old allrounder Reddy made his T20I debut for India against Bangladesh earlier this month and is currently a reserve player in India’s Test squad for the home series against New Zealand. He is seen by India’s selectors as a promising allrounder who could improve with more experience and exposure.India opt for intra-squad warm-upIndia A are scheduled to play Australia A in two four-day matches in Mackay from October 31 to November 3 and in Melbourne from November 7 to 10. They will then play the India squad in a warm-up match in Perth from November 15 to 17 before the first Test against Australia begins on November 22.India have opted for this intra-squad game as their warm-up to the Test rather than a practice match against an Australian domestic side. This is a departure from their preference on their last two tours of Australia. They began the red-ball leg of their 2020-21 tour with a three-day game against Australia A, and played a four-day game against a Cricket Australia XI before their Test series in 2018.19.India A squad for tour of AustraliaRuturaj Gaikwad (capt), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vice-capt), Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan, B Indrajith, Abishek Porel (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Mukesh Kumar, Ricky Bhui, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Manav Suthar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Tanush Kotian, Prasidh Krishna

Aston Villa have now made contact with the agents of an “unbelievable” £60m star, in order to assess whether he would be keen on a move to Villa Park this summer, according to a report.

Villa eyeing new striker amid Watkins uncertainty

It is no surprise that Ollie Watkins continues to be linked with a move away from Villa, given that the striker has performed very well for Villa in each of his last five Premier League campaigns.

Season

PL appearances

Goals

Assists

2020-21

37

14

5

2021-22

35

11

2

2022-23

37

15

6

2023-24

37

19

15

2024-25

38

16

8

Arsenal are well-known to be admirers of the England international, but the Gunners are now closing in on the signing of Viktor Gyokeres, which could open the door for the centre-forward to join a different club, and he has now been identified as Manchester United’s top target.

Although United were once again way below par in the 2024-25 campaign, moving to Old Trafford clearly remains an attractive proposition, with Matheus Cunha joining the Red Devils this summer, so there is a possibility that Watkins could be tempted by a move.

Should the 29-year-old depart, it would exacerbate the need for Unai Emery to bring in a new striker this summer, and Aston Villa are now stepping up their pursuit of Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, according to a report from Football Insider.

Having recently opened talks with the Blues, the Villans have now made contact with Jackson’s entourage to assess whether he would be keen on making a move to Villa Park this summer, after an up-and-down year in west London.

Emery is known to be a big admirer of the Chelsea ace, and the Villa boss believes he has the potential to develop into one of the Premier League’s leading forwards.

Aston Villa now set to make move for £17m ace, keen to finalise deal quickly

The Villans are “ready” to finalise a move for a defender…

ByDominic Lund Jul 15, 2025 "Unbelievable" Jackson could be exciting signing for Villa

Emery knows the ex-Villarreal man very well, having spent time working with him at the La Liga club, and the manager clearly holds his former player in high regard, given his eagerness to bring him to Villa Park.

Trusting Emery has helped transform Aston Villa from a struggling side into European regulars, and there are signs the manager may also be correct about the Chelsea forward, given that he’s averaged over one goal contribution every other game in the Premier League.

Peter Crouch has also been left impressed by the Senegal international, lauding him as “unbelievable”, despite admitting the striker has been a little wasteful at times, having become well-known for missing a lot of chances.

That said, Emery clearly believes he can help turn Jackson into a top striker, so he could be a solid long-term signing for Villa, but a deal is unlikely to be cheap, with Chelsea thought to be holding out for a fee of around £60m.

Tournament was due to be held in Bangladesh in October but anti-government protests have meant the venue is likely to be changed

Firdose Moonda16-Aug-2024Zimbabwe have emerged as one of two options being considered to host the Women’s T20 World Cup this year. The tournament, which is due to start on October 3 and was scheduled for Bangladesh, is likely to be moved after anti-government agitations prompted security concerns. The UAE is the other place being considered, after India ruled themselves out on Thursday. It is understood that a decision is expected to be made by the ICC board on Tuesday, August 20.Zimbabwe’s interest, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo, comes on the back of intentions to promote themselves as a destination for big cricket after successfully hosting the last two ODI World Cup Qualifiers (in 2018 and 2023). The country last hosted a World Cup in 2003, along with South Africa and Kenya.Since then, Zimbabwe spent several years isolated from major events, which included the Robert Mugabe regime cutting itself off from much of the world, hyperinflation, a self-imposed Test hiatus between 2005 and 2011, and the men’s team failing to qualify for two successive ODI World Cups and two of the last three T20 World Cups. The women’s team has never competed at a World Cup (neither have the UAE’s) and will not feature at this year’s event either, but Zimbabwe are eager to be neutral hosts of the tournament.Related

Healy: 'Hard to fathom' T20 World Cup going ahead in Bangladesh

Bangladesh to approach UN about keeping hosting rights for Women's T20 World Cup

BCCI rejects ICC's offer to host Women's T20 World Cup

Bangladesh turmoil: ICC mulls back-up options to host women's T20 World Cup

Bangladesh in turmoil: how will cricket be impacted?

Zimbabwe will co-host the men’s Under-19 World Cup with Namibia in 2026 and the ODI World Cup with South Africa and Namibia in 2027. By then, the country will have two more international grounds with Zimbabwe Cricket and local government authorities working together to build multi-purpose facilities in Victoria Falls and Mutare.For now, Zimbabwe can offer Harare Sports Club (which also has newly installed floodlights) and Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo as venues for the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. These grounds also hosted all the televised matches in the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers, with streaming games held at Takashinga Sports Club and Bulawayo Athletic Club.The weather in Zimbabwe is expected to be a major selling point, with the country entering summer in October and minimal rain expected. India rejected the offer to host because the country will be experiencing the last of the monsoon. Sri Lanka is also understood to have fallen out of contention for weather-related reasons.Crucially, Zimbabwe will be able to generate fairly good crowds, including school children at venues, where the maximum capacity is 10,000. A concern with the UAE as a venue is the lack of spectators in stadiums that can seat over 20,000 people. Zimbabwe are also hopeful that the relatively lower cost of hosting a tournament in their country compared to the UAE will give them an advantage when the final decision is made.

A trial by spin awaits Australia in the T20 World Cup 2024, with them looming as the odd team out in an otherwise all-Asian Super Eight group.Having won their first three games, Mitchell Marsh’s side will progress to the next stage of the tournament whatever happens in Sunday’s clash with Scotland in St Lucia.The main talking point of that match will be the impact it has on England – with an Australia loss enough to knock out the defending champions. But that aside, Australia’s path to a second T20 World Cup and the capture of all three current men’s ICC global titles is becoming much clearer.Related

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Based on pre-tournament seedings, Australia will meet India and Afghanistan in their Super Eight group. Bangladesh are in the box seat to join them, after Nepal fell one run short of shocking South Africa on Saturday.That trio will make for a significant challenge against an Australia team who have traditionally had difficulties on spinning wickets.”A lot of us have prepared for plenty of spin depending on what venue you get to,” Australia’s vice-captain Matthew Wade said. “Guys have been preparing for that through the world, through IPL into the start of this World Cup.”We expect nothing different, and on their day they’re all going to be very very hard teams to beat. We’re expecting them to hit us with a fair bit of spin over the next little bit.”India have so far relied more on their quicks for their matches in the USA, but have Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav at their disposal for the slower Caribbean pitches.Afghanistan can call on Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed and Mohammad Nabi, although have lost Mujeeb Ur Rahman to injury, while Bangladesh will also fancy their spinners as the wickets grow tired. Legspinner Rishad Hossain, who Australia have not faced before, has impressed with seven wickets in three matches.There was significant help for the spinners in the South Africa-Nepal match in St Vincent where Australia will meet Afghanistan.Meanwhile, Wade added he hoped this tournament would not signal his farewell for Australia. He was expected to retire after the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups, but at 36 has continued to be a threat for Australia batting at No. 7.”I’m at my best when it’s the last opportunity,” Wade said. “Hopefully I can pull some good stuff out in the next little bit, but it will be the same conversation at the end of this one. There are going to be players go out of this team. I’m more than comfortable if I’m one of them to get the next cycle of players coming in to play for Australia.”

Liverpool are reportedly on red alert over potentially signing a “phenomenal” Premier League player in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool favourites to sign Wirtz in stunning deal

In a massive development late in the week, the Reds are believed to be closing in on the signing of Bayer Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz, in what would almost certainly be a club-record move to Anfield, potentially costing as much as £126m.

Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has claimed that the 22-year-old has given Liverpool his “verbal commitment”, preferring to join the Premier League champions over Bayern Munich.

The news has clearly caused a huge amount of excitement among the Reds’ fanbase, with Wirtz a signing who could feel one of the most exciting and significant in years, considering he is among the best attacking players in Europe, bagging 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 Leverkusen appearances.

If Liverpool could sign the Germany international, as well as Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, it would be a fantastic start to the summer, and now another promising talent has been linked with a move to Merseyside.

Liverpool eyeing move for "phenonemal" ace

According to The Boot Room, Liverpool are on alert when it comes to Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri this summer, with the teenage attacker no closer to signing a new deal at the Emirates.

It is claimed that the Reds are “well aware” of the £6,000-a-week Englishman’s situation, with Chelsea and Manchester City in the same boat, and there is also thought to be “very strong interest” from other European clubs.

The idea of Liverpool signing Nwaneri is enormously exciting, both because he is a special talent and the fact that the Reds would be stealing him away from one of their biggest Premier League rivals.

The 18-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Arsenal, making 25 appearances in the league, and former Reds left-back Stephen Warnock has described him as “phenomenal”.

Just imagine him & Wirtz: Liverpool want to sign "incredible" £68m CF

Liverpool are planning to replace Darwin Nunez with a new centre-forward this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 23, 2025

Granted, it does feel like a move is relatively unlikely, not least because the Gunners will do everything they can to tie him down to a new deal, but his current situation is certainly giving potential suitors hope.

Appearances

25

Starts

10

Minutes played

817

Goals

4

Assists

2

Dribbles per game

1.3

Key passes per game

0.9

Pass completion rate

88.9%

Liverpool were linked with a move for Nwaneri back in 2022, so they appear to be long-time admirers of him, and snapping him up this summer would be an incredible coup, considering he has the ability to reach the very top of the game.

Tottenham Hotspur’s dismal Premier League campaign continued on Sunday when they were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace in front of their own supporters.

A double from England international Eberechi Eze, who scored either side of half-time, wrapped up the three points for the away side, who could have had even more.

Ange Postecoglou did, however, make a host of changes to his starting line-up, possibly to rest players ahead of the Europa League final later this month, but not many of those coming in advanced their claims for more minutes.

There were plenty of players who failed to step up and are now in danger of losing their place in the team, or of not getting another chance to impress in the coming weeks.

On the flip side, however, one player who has improved his chances of breaking into the starting line-up moving forward is goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, after his impressive display against the Eagles.

Why Antonin Kinsky has created a problem for next season

The Czechia youth international was brought into the side to give the number one, Guglielmo Vicario, a rest ahead of the Europa League final.

Signed from Sparta Prague in January, the shot-stopper already knows that he will not be in the team that faces Manchester United because he was not included in the squad for the Europa League for the knockout stages.

However, his performance against Crystal Palace showed that he has the quality to create a problem for Postecoglou next season, because he is good enough to challenge for the number one position in the Premier League.

Kinsky made eight saves and prevented 1.32 xG in the defeat to Palace, which shows that he prevented an absolute drubbing by the Eagles, and the youngster may feel like he did enough to at least make the manager think about him moving forward.

Sofascore rating

8.9

Touches

50

Pass accuracy

68%

Saves

8

Goals prevented

1.32

Run-outs completed

1/1

High claims

2

Error led to shot or goal

0

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old star kept the scoreline down with a string of important saves, whilst also coming out to deal with balls in behind and crosses into the box, without making any errors.

Whereas, Vicario has made two errors that have led to shots and one error that has led to a goal in his last five appearances in all competitions, which shows that he has not been a reliable presence between the sticks of late.

This suggests that Kinsky has done enough to at least create doubt in Postecoglou’s mind for that position, as he could turn out to be a more reliable goalkeeper than the Italian heading into next season, which means that he could seriously challenge for the number one role.

On the flip side of that, Rodrigo Bentancur, who took even fewer touches (17) than Kinsky, was hooked at half-time in the defeat to Palace, and he should be ruthlessly ditched from the team by the Australian head coach.

Why Rodrigo Bentancur should be dropped

The former Juventus star was named in the starting XI after being left as an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw with West Ham United in the last Premier League game, although he did feature from the start away at Bodo/Glimt.

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Bentancur, however, failed to strengthen his case for a starting berth against Manchester United in the Europa League final as he put in a dismal first-half display that might put some doubt in the manager’s mind when it comes to selecting that vital line-up.

Minutes

45

Touches

17

Pass accuracy

71%

Shots

0

Key passes

0

Tackles + interceptions

0

Duels won

1/4

As you can see in the table above, the Uruguay international lost 75% of his duels and only completed 71% of his passes, which shows that he was loose in his use of the ball and struggled to keep up with the pace and physicality of the game out of possession.

Postecoglou opted to withdraw him from the match at the break, replaced by Yves Bissouma, and it is hard to argue with that decision when you look at what Bentancur did, or did not, offer in the opening 45.

The former Serie A star should, now, be ruthlessly ditched by Postecoglou for the trip to Aston Villa next time out in the Premier League, which will be the last match before the Europa League final.

That would then provide Bissouma with an opportunity to prove to the manager that he deserves to be in the starting XI for the final ahead of Bentancur.

The Mali international completed 87% of his passes and won three of his seven duels in the second half against Palace, which shows that he offered more in and out of possession than his teammate did in the opening 45.

Bissouma has greater athleticism in comparison to Bentancur and has the mobility to cover more ground and win more duels in the final against United, which is why Postecoglou should be concerned by the Uruguayan losing 75% of his duels against Palace.

As you can see in the clip against Brentford above, the former Brighton ace can start attacks with his ability to make recovery runs to win possession back for his side.

Appearances

26

24

Tackles per game

1.8

1.6

Dribbled past per game

0.6x

0.8x

Ground duels won per game

2.8

2.3

Ground duel success rate

51%

42%

As shown in the statistics above, Bissouma is better than Bentancur when it comes to being dominant in duels on the deck, as the ex-Juventus man has lost the majority of his ground duels in the Premier League.

It has also been an issue in the Europa League because Bentancur has been dribbled past 1.3 times per game on average, compared to Bissouma’s 0.3 times per match. This suggests that opposition midfielders find it harder to get by the Mali international, due to his strength in duels.

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Therefore, Postecoglou should drop the Uruguay international from the team for the clash with Villa to provide his midfield teammate with a chance to impress ahead of the final.